Bolt clip for toilet tank and bowl combination



H. F. SMITH Nov. 17, 1953 BOLT CLIP FOR TOILET TANK AND BOWL. COMBINATION Filed April 15, 1952 INVENTOR. HARVEY F. SHIT/7 A TTOR/VEYS This invention relates closet combinations of bowl and tank and is ing.

Patented Nov. 17,1953

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOLT CLIP FOR TOILET TANK AND BOWL COMBINATION Harry F. Smith, Lexington, Ohio, assignor to Mansfield Sanitary Pottery, Inc., Perrysvillc, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 15, 1952, Serial No. 282,499

3 Claims.- 1 1 to close coupled water particularly concerned with new means for securing the tank and bowl in assembled position. Tank and bowl combinations have been made heretofore in which the bowl had an outwardly extending flange at its rear end and along the sides adjacent thereto and the tank had three bolts which extended through the bottom wall thereof and through said flanges, one of the bolts extending through the rear flange of the bowl. This construction was not satisfactory because of the difliculty in supporting the rearwarclly extending flange on the bowl during fir- Consequently this rear flange has been made very short and, hence, affords a projection to which it is diflicult to attach any means for holding down the tank.

1 In my prior Patent No. 2,590,471 is shown means by which a tank could be satisfactorily secured to a very short rear bowl flange.

While that apparatus has been found in commercial practice to v be quite satisfactory, it possesses the disadvantage that several loose parts must be held in assembled relation while a clip which functions in conjunction with the short rear flange and a bolt in a highly efficient manner and is readily applied.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, bottom plan view, of a bowl and tank combination embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the securing clip of Figs. 1 and 2.

In the drawings, a part of the water-containing tank I is shown in assembled position on a part of bowl 2. Bolts 3 extend through holes in the bottom wall of tank I and two of these bolts project through holes in the side flanges 4 of bowl 2 while the third and rearmost bolt 3 extends down rearwardly of the rear flange 5 of the bowl. The usual washer '5 surrounds each of the bolts 3 and lies between the heads of the bolts and the inner surface of the bottom wall of the tank. A gasket [0 projects through a hole in the bottom of the tank, has a valve seating surface H at its upper end, a, flange portion 2 l2 projecting outwardly along the bottom surface of the bottom wall of the tank and conical surface l3 engaging a rounded surface l4 surrounding the water inlet opening l5 of the bowl 2. This gasket I0 may have a. reinforcing wire it embedded therein if desired.

A clip is associated with the rear bolt 3. This clip consists of a flat strip of metal which is notched on opposite sides a short distance away from one end thereof with the edge portions of the strip from the notches to the opposite end of the strip being bent into parallel flanges and with the flanged part of the strip being bent at an acute angle to the flat portion. The flat arm of the strip 20 is flexible while the flange bearing portion 2| is channel-shaped in cross-section and is rigid as compared with the arm 20; The metal is cut away in forming notches 22 in such a, manner that the ends of the flanges 23 will engage the opposed surface of the flexible arm 29 when the two arms are bent to form an acute angle, and thereby limit the extent to which that arm may be moved toward the channeled portion of the clip. The flexible flat arm 20 of the clip is provided with a round hole through which rear bolt 3 extends and the rigid arm 2! is provided with an elongated hole 25 for bolt 3.

Preferably the ends of the flanges 23 remote from flexible arm 20 are rounded convexly so as to engage with the bowl and rear flange at their intersection. 'A nut and washer 26 and 21 are carried by the lower end of the bolt to bear against the rigid arm 2| of the clip and, if desired, a nut 28 may be positioned on the bolt to bear against the under side of the flexible arm 20 of the clip.

In using the present invention, the tank I with gasket ID in place is located on the bowl 2, the side bolts 3 are placed in their aligned holes in the tank and side flanges and the nuts are turned on the bolts to pull the parts into closely assembled relation. The rear bolt 3 is placed in the hole in the tank and the clip is slipped onto the bolt with the flat flexible arm of the clip bearing against the lower surface of the bottom wall of the tank. If and when the nut 28 is to be used it is put onto the bolt before the bolt is passed through hole 25 in the rigid arm of the clip.

With the clip in position on the rear bolt and with the ends of the flanges 23 engaging the bowl at the intersection of the bowl and the rear flange thereof, nut 26 is turned on the bolt. This movement of the nut forces the flanges of the clip against the bowl and if unrestrained would result in movement of the clip out from under the bowl flange. However, this tendency to outward movement of the clip is restrained partly by the fact that the bolt cannot shift laterally in the bottom wall of the tank and partly by the flexing of the flat arm 20 of the clip with resultant engagement of substantially the entire top surface 'oLthat-arm of-the clip with: the lower surface: ofathe tank bottom. Thus the forces created by turning the nut on the bolt 3 which would normally act lengthwise of the channel. section 2| are resolved into a. .vertical component. and a horizontal componenti The'latter. component is transmitted along the flexible arm of the clip 20 to the bolt 3 winlezthezverticalcom-'- ponent is transmitted along-the: longitudinal axis of the bolt 3. The bolt 3 prevents rearwardmovement of the clip, nut fli /forces the ends of the clip flanges against the sloping under side of flange 5, and the bolt and nut prevent the flanges from sliding off flange 5.

When: the nut lads used: the flexible -arm of theeclipvfirst-clampedsagainst the under surface of the: tankaandthenthe flanged portion use clamped againsttherea-r flange by means of inut and washerZha-nd 21. In: either event the elongated hole:-25"-ini part 2l of'the clip permits a. limited: amountof relative movement of the clip; and bolt which is: necessary or desirable fOIY'pIOPBI' operation of the clip.

l-lavinggthus' described the present invention so that othersskilled in-the art may be able to understand andpracticethe same, Istate that what I desire to secure byyLetters Patent is defined :in .what is: claimed,

What ;is.5 claimed: is:

L: A- close coupled-- water closet combination comprisingia:toiletbowlhaving a rear extension, flanges-proj ectingzoutwardlyfrom the sides and irear of saidf extension, a" tank,': and means securingtsaid tankv irr-assembled'. position on said bowl, .said'.'means comprising: side bolts passing througl'rrthe-bottom of the tank' and: through thessideiflangesy aarear bolt; said clip including a rigid a-rm extending' upwardly and rearwardly fronrethe underisiderof: said rear-flange; and a flexible arm integral withand. extending forwardly-from theupper end ofsaidxrigid arm to engage the bottom ofithe tank, arear bolt passing: through the bottom of thetan'kw past the edgezof the rearwflange and through the free ends of said arms; and 7a; nut ontthe rear bolt to .urge the? flexible and rigid arms 7 against the bottom wall of the tank and the rear flange of the bowl, respectively.

2. A close coupled water closet combination comprising a toilet bowl having a rear extension, a flange projecting outwardly from said extension, a tank, and means securing said tank in assembled position on saidrb'owl; said means comprising. a 1 generally V-shaped clip including a rigid arm and a flexible arm, said rigid arm being preferably channel-shaped in cross-section with a flat web and upstanding parallel side flangeshavi'ngrounded ends and said flexible armbeing flat and integrally connected to the web vof th'e rigid-arm and engageable with the adjacent rounded ends of the side flanges, a bolt extending'thro'ugh the bottom wall of the tank and through the free ends of said arms, a nut on the bolt engaging the under side of the flexiblev: arm and clamping it against the bottom wall of the tank, and means on the bolt engaging the under sideof theaweb of :saidrigid'tarm and urging the rounded 2 endse-ofl the-:flanges.-.at the free end-of the rigid arm against the under side of the-flange on the bowl.

3. A- close coupled water closet combination comprising-a toilet bowl havinga rear extension, a flange projecting outwardly fromtxsaidfiextenrsion, a tank, and-'means securing; said-tankrzin assembled position onsaidsbowl, said-means comprising a flange, a. clip-on. saidbolt, said clip including a, rigid arm.extending==upwardly and rearwardly from. the under. side of -said flange, anda substantially horizontalarmcen gaging: the under side ofsaidtankand extend:- ing forwardly from the: upper 'endofsaid rigid arm, a rear b'olt'passlngthroughthe :bottomof the tank and extending past'the: rear edge vof said flange and through-:the.free-:ends.-oft.the armsroflsaid clip; a nut .on-..said bolt to;cla:mp it against .thebottomofthe tank; and. a nutter: said boltaengaging the under side of said-rigid arm tourgeit upwardly. against thei-eflangemf the bowl.

HARRY'F. SMITH,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESIPATENTS" Number Name Date 1,676,124 Wilkie .July,3', 1928 2,520,575" Smith Aug; 29,1950 590,471 Smith Mar, 25,1952 

